In My Dreams
by xoc13
Summary: "There's no way this could be real. It had to be another dream, right? Dream Soldier couldn't possibly be real…" Stephanie bumps into a man she met in a dream...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, so I know it's been a while since I've updated anything, but trust me I've been working on updates for Desperate, Drink 'Em Up and others. They're all on different stages of completion, so hang tight. **

**I recently wrote a paper on World War II and the home front experiences of American women at the time. I guess after two weeks of reading and rewriting my paper I can't shake off the idea of life in the 1940s. Anyway, this idea popped into my head and I'm not sure if it will merit a continuation, but I thought I at least had to get it out there. Basically, I got the idea from the fact that a Stephanie in the 1940s and 50s would have been one of those women who would not have conformed with the set gender roles…**

**Disclaimer: The Plum Universe belongs to JE. **

_"Excuse me," I heard a smooth male voice ask just a few feet away. "Do any of you fine ladies know where I can find Miss Stephanie Plum?" My head automatically snapped up at the mention of my name._

_"Over there." I heard a woman answer, her voice giving away the fact that she was salivating over the man. _

_"Stephanie!" Someone nudged me forward and I bumped into a solid wall of muscle. Looking up, I came face to face with a handsome Latino in full on military uniform. Staring at the beautiful man with caramel colored skin, well, hell… no wonder every woman present was drooling over the guy. _

_"Are you Stephanie Plum?" He asked, making his breath ghost against my lips as he spoke. _

_I started to nod, but was interrupted when his lips met mine. He kissed me like his life depended on it and without protest I found myself responding. I lost myself in the kiss and in him for several moments, but sadly we had to break the kiss when the need for air became a must. _

_"I, uh,…" I stammered, feeling an immediate blush after. "What was that for?" I had to clear my throat several times, which was probably very unladylike, before I could utter the question. _

_"For decoding my broken message for help." He flashed me a half smile, one that made me weak in the knees and had me thinking that perhaps marriage wasn't such a bad idea…._

I was startled awake and after having such a vivid dream it took me a moment to recognize my surroundings. For a moment there I didn't even remember who I was.

"Post World War II…" One look at the TV droning on made me realize that my dream was perfectly explicable. Deciding that I should stop falling asleep on the couch while watching TV, I turned everything off and shuffled towards my bedroom.

S&amp;R

The next morning I woke up and followed my usual morning routine before heading to the Bonds Office to have a cup of coffee with my gals.

"You look like you didn't sleep much." My friend Lula mentioned as she selected a jelly donut from the box I brought in.

"Yeah, what's with that?" Connie followed Lula's lead with the donuts, but she also had a cup of coffee read for me.

"Bless you." I told her as I took a glorious sip of coffee. I've known Connie for a while now, ever since I started working for my cousin Vinnie as a Bond Enforcement Agent, and let me just say that the woman has a gift when it comes to making coffee.

"So?" Lula prodded.

I blew out a sigh as I selected a donut for myself. "I had this really weird dream last night." I confessed just before I took a big bite of my maple glaze.

"Kinky weird or freaky weird?"

"Oooh, do tell." Connie stared at me expectantly when I thought about the answer too much.

"It's probably nothing, but in the dream a World War II soldier showed up at a classroom and kissed the daylights out of me." A warm flutter spread through my lower belly just remembering that dream kiss. "I fell asleep watching the History channel, so…" I shrugged, hoping the very rational explanation would ground me back to reality.

"Was he hot?" Lula wanted to know.

I cocked my head to the side as if to consider the possibility, even though I knew that Dream Soldier was hot as hell.

"He was!" Connie chuckled. "Was this soldier someone we know?" She asked in a sing song voice.

"No!" I cleared my throat. "No, I don't know who this dream soldier was." _He was a figment of my imagination_, I told myself.

"It's probably a side effect from lack of sex." Lula supplied, saying that when she's gone too long without some lovin' she usually starts concocting images of hot men.

Connie and I stared at her in shock for a few beats.

"Shit, I wish that happened to me." Connie commented, finally biting her donut.

"It wasn't real. That soldier doesn't exist." I said firmly, because the last thing I need is to be longing for a man who doesn't exist.

"Sure." Connie muttered, hiding her grin behind her coffee mug.

"Uh huh." Lula nodded at me, but it was obvious neither of them believed me.

"So, you go anything new for me?" I asked Connie, desperate to change the subject to anything other than my apparently unsexed status.

"No, sorry."

I chewed the last bit of my donut and washed it down with some coffee, deciding that I might as well go back home and deal with important matters, like doing laundry. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, ladies." I gave them a finger wave and stood.

I must have been distracted on my drive back to my apartment, because in a flash I was snapped out of my internal musings by the sound of screeching tries. The car in front of me slammed on the brakes all at once, leaving me to scramble to do the same so I wouldn't rear end it.

I managed to screech to a halt too without any bumper to bumper action and took a slow breath to calm myself. That was way too close.

And just as I thought the worst part was over, I glanced at my rearview mirror and spotted a truck speeding straight towards me. It was coming in too hot and there was no way it would be able to stop without crashing into me. I panicked, realizing there was nowhere for me to go…

Just when I thought it was over, the driver maneuvered heavily and jumped the curb. I watched amazed as the quick thinking avoided what would have surely been a catastrophic pile up on Hamilton Ave.

The driver powered down his window and I did the same, since we were now basically parked parallel to each other.

"Sorry!" The driver, a good looking latino, yelled, saying that it was _my fault_ for stopping so abruptly.

Seriously?! I shot him my best glare and pointed ahead of me for emphasis.

"Oh…" The driver grimaced, probably feeling very stupid. And just when I decided to ignore the asshole who obviously doesn't deserve a driver's license from the State of New Jersey, the passenger riding shotgun spoke up.

"It was obviously his error, _miss_." I felt the tiny hairs on my arms stand on end. That voice! It sounded so familiar. No, there's no way! Right before I thought I was going crazy the driver sat back and I got a perfect glimpse of the owner of such a smooth voice. Handsome, latino, caramel colored skin…

"I uh…" I knew I was stuttering, but I didn't care. It was impossible. There's no way this could be real. It had to be another dream, right? _Dream Soldier_ couldn't possibly be _real_…

**Thoughts, comments? Continue developing this idea or nah?**


	2. Very Good or Very Bad

**First off, thank you for all the amazing and super kind reviews. The majority asked for a continuation and since I got the inspiration to continue I quickly concocted where to take this next. I wouldn't say this is an AU (alternate universe) story, since mostly everything is pretty similar as the character versions of the book. Perhaps the one and probably main difference here would be that S&amp;R didn't meet when she started as a bounty hunter. **

**I've got several future updates for some of my other stories in different levels of completion. Final exams are next week and graduation is the 19****th****, so I'm on a tight schedule. This means I'll get to finishing up what's in progress once the craziness settles down.**

**I got my paper back, the one that inspired this story, and I got 96% on it. Two different people who read my rough draft wanted to make me doubt my content, but thanks to the added confidence your support has given me in my writing I stuck with what I had. So, thanks guys (when I say 'guys' I use it to mean everyone, as in both guys/gals).**

**Disclaimer: The Plum Universe belongs to JE.**

I could have stayed there all day, even all year, staring at that man. But unfortunately for _me_ traffic quickly resumed its normal flow. As I drove away I snuck glances through the rearview mirror, hoping to get one last glimpse of the real life version of Dream Soldier. When I finally lost the truck from sight I realized I'd missed my street.

"Get it together, Steph." I muttered to myself as I hooked a U-turn.

Not wanting to devote any more time to what was clearly a coincidence, a very freaky and weird one at that, I stuffed all my laundry in the hamper before I carted it down to my car. I live in a three story brick building that's not necessarily pretty, but it _is_ practical. The appliances pre-date my grandmother, but they work. There's also a wash room in the basement comprised of one washer and one dryer that are always available since my building is mostly inhabited by Seniors. Since I'm pretty sure Trolls live down there, I prefer to cart my clothes back to my parents' house.

My parents live just a short drive from my apartment. As if propelled by an unknown force my grandmother was already waiting for me at the door. Grandma Mazur came to live with my parents when Grandpa took his clogged arteries to the All You Can Eat buffet in the sky. It's no secret that between my older sister and I I'm Grandma's favorite.

"Stephanie." Grandma Mazur held the screen door open for me. I kissed her hello as I dragged the hamper inside. Man, I really need to wash more often. It won't be such a bad idea to do laundry every week, that way this thing won't be so heavy.

"Is mom home?" I asked as I dragged the hamper through the house until I reached the washer. Part of the reason why I'd rather do my laundry here is because my mom does it for me. In my defense my clothes always come out better when she washes, dries and folds them. Don't judge.

Grandma shook her head. "No, she's out running errands."

"Oh." I tried not to let the disappointment show. Resigned, I blew out a sigh and started loading the washer.

"Aren't you going to separate them?"

"Nah. I hardly have any whites." I was about to throw a bra into the washer, but Grandma took it from me. She secured the clap before throwing it in and then shooed me away. I would have fought her, but maybe I should start paying attention on this whole laundry thing.

"Going after anybody interesting today?" Grandma thinks I have the most exiting job on the planet. My mother? Not so much.

It was my turn to shake my head in the negative. "No. It's been pretty slow lately." Thankfully for me, I landed a decent bond last month so at least I won't be going hungry this week.

We fell into a comfortable silence for several moments. Just as she started the load I decided she was the perfect person to help me on this whole dream dilemma. Okay, truth was I just couldn't get _him_ out of my mind.

"Have you ever experienced in real life something you lived in a dream?" I blurted out, cringing when I realized how crazy I must have sounded.

"Sure." She nodded, saying it happens to her all the time.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Just yesterday I was at the Jenkins viewing and I had one of those, what do you call them?"

"Déjà vu?"

"Yes! I was on my way to the front to pay my respects when I felt like I'd already lived that _exact_ same moment." She shook her head and laughed softly. "It was the strangest thing."

"I bet." Grandma Mazur's experience wasn't quite the same thing, though. She goes to _every _viewing.

S&amp;R

"_Aren't we moving a little too fast?" I gasped against his full lips even as I rubbed myself against his hard body. At the moment I couldn't care if we really were moving too fast, because my entire body was sizzling with excitement and want. _

I woke up with a start, gasping for air and shivering. It took me a few inhales and exhales before it dawned on me that I'd once again dreamt about _him_.

"Fuck!" I groaned, annoyed and a little frustrated. "This is ridiculous." I muttered to myself as I got out of bed to flick the light on. And just to double check I was on the right reality I scanned the bedroom to make sure I was really _alone_.

Maybe it's the lack of 'excitement' in my life, but this is getting ridiculous. If the newest hottie starring in my dreams was an ex boyfriend, a celebrity or even Batman then I'd understand. But some total stranger I didn't even meet until today? "Ridiculous." I agreed out loud just as I decided that I needed a little something to help me get past this.

"This night can't get any worse." I was very, very disappointed when I opened the freezer only to discover I was out of ice cream. It took me about two seconds to weigh out my options and convince myself how much I really, really needed the ice cream. Deciding this was definitely an emergency I stuffed my feet in my sneakers, grabbed my shoulder bag and dashed out of my apartment.

Nothing seems to be going my way lately. Dillon's scooter parked in front of my car was solid proof of that. Dillon Ruddick is the building's super. He's about my age and a pretty decent guy. I understand why he'd rather park his scooter in front of my car, so one of the seniors won't run it over with one of their gas guzzling cars, but it doesn't make the blockage any less annoying at an urgent time like now. It was a little past midnight, but thankfully the nearest 711 would only be a five minute drive at this time of night. Taking advantage of the fact that Dillon always leaves the keys on his scooter, I stuffed my bag in the box compartment in the back and hopped on. As I drove off the parking lot I made the mental note to grab Dillon a six pack as a thank you/apology for taking his scooter without his permission.

Maybe the rumors circling around are true and I really am a magnet for disaster. Out of everyone in Trenton it had to be me, Stephanie Plum, who witnessed a crime in progress just one block away from my destination. Before I could fully gauge the situation gunshots were fired and one of the two men before me fell to the ground. The man with the gun took a step closer to the fallen guy, leveling the gun and preparing to shoot what would most likely be a kill shot.

Instinct took over and before I fully registered my actions, the scooter jumped the curb. I clipped the guy with the gun, the tap throwing him forward and making him crash into the wall of an out of business shop before he fell on the sidewalk.

I sat there gripping the handlebars tightly, heart pounding and no longer worrying about what flavor ice cream to get. The roaring in my ears didn't let me register the sound of movement until someone hopped on the back of the scooter with me.

"Drive, drive, drive!" He ordered over my shriek of surprise as one muscular arm wrapped around my torso.

My guilt over wondering if I killed the shooter was quickly replaced with horror when he stood and aimed a much bigger gun my way.

"Go, go, go!" Although I was shaking, his smooth voice managed to snap me out of it and I sped off on the deserted sidewalk.

Seconds later the asshole managed to shatter one of my mirrors. Well, one of Dillon's mirrors. As if dodging gunshots wasn't enough, screeching tires belonging to a shiny black SUV told me this guy wasn't about to give up so easily.

My heart was beating wildly in my chest. I was in my Pjs driving a 'borrowed' scooter with a total stranger riding shotgun, if him being pressed tightly against my back could be considered shotgun, while some crazies tailed me. I was out of my element, but thankfully survival instincts kicked in. I knew these streets like the palm of my hand. All I needed to do was buy myself some time by losing them.

I meandered through sidewalks, streets and parked cars until I reached the alley I use as a shortcut when there's heavy traffic on Hamilton Ave. I must have been holding my breath, because as soon as I squeezed the scooter between my parked car and the large dumpster for our building I gasped for air. I killed the engine and lights as I worked on getting my breathing back to normal. And it was just in time, because the SUV roared by as soon as I bathed us in darkness.

I debated the sanity of brining this kind of mess back to my place, but it's not like I had too many options to choose from. Plus, we're in _my_ territory now.

"Come on." I said to the stranger as I grabbed my bag and ditched the scooter. "Let's go inside before they realize their mistake and round back."

We were just inside the lobby when tires squealed onto the parking lot. "Shit!"I'm not going to lie. My heartbeat was reaching dangerous levels, but even then I somehow knew what to do. I snatched Mr. Stranger and dragged him towards the stairs. Without instruction he followed me up the steps. Not wasting time, I got us behind closed and locked doors.

Perhaps bringing in a total stranger into my apartment is not the best idea I've had, but considering that there were others currently looking for us outside he was the lesser of two evils.

"They're gone." That smooth voice of his called out to me again.

"We need to call the cops."

"No!"

Something in me flared up, his order making me furious. I'd just saved the asshole and he still has the nerve to give me orders? Well, he's got another thing coming to him. "Listen, you…" Whatever I was about to say never left my lips, because I came face to face with _him_. Mr. Stranger was actually the life-sized version of Dream Soldier.

I must have been very, very bad in a previous life to deserve this jumble.

**Very bad or very good, depending on how you look at it, hehehe. **

**For now, I'm torn on whether or not I should have some RPOV in the next chapter…**


	3. Lies and Trust

**Thanks for the amazing support on this one. RPOV was practically demanded, lol, so I decided to dedicate the entire chapter to it so Ranger could bring us up to speed;) **

**Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE. **

I've made enemies in my past. A handful of them have followed me into the present looking for revenge. I thought I'd cleared out most of the real threatening ones, but it seems I was mistaken. When Tank, my second in command and best friend, informed me that some of the Rangemen were acting out of line I left my post at the Miami branch and flew in. I figured it would only take a visit from me, the boss, and some strictly enforced changes to get the men back in line. If not, replacing them wouldn't be an issue.

Oh, but how wrong I was.

I've spent most of my time in the Miami branch of my security company, Rangeman, because my daughter lives in the Sunshine State. It's easier to spend time and bond with her if we live in the same city. I never worried much about the Trenton branch since the man I trust with my life has the reins. I don't doubt my friend and colleague's ability, but it seems things got way too out of hand in my prolonged absence.

And so, I decided to be on the field with the men in order to understand where their insubordination was coming from. When the break-in alert came in shortly after we began our shift I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to study the men's approach and skills. Once I had firsthand knowledge of how they operated, I'd be in a better position to implement changes. It occurred to me that perhaps all they needed was another round of vigorous training to remind them how they should do their job. I came here to help this branch get back on track, but I also came with a schedule. If the guys didn't improve by my set deadline, I wasn't going to hesitate when it came to replacing them.

But I was in for quite the surprise. In just a matter of minutes I realized that their rebellion was very organized. So organized that I was sure they had a leader. That leader revealed himself when the men I was patrolling with dropped me off at the supposed break-in location. I never would have guessed that Rodriguez, Tank's right-hand man, was behind it. Hell, even as he shot me I found it hard to believe.

And as I was on the floor gauging how fast I could get to the gun strapped to my ankle the strangest thing happened. This woman practically ran over Rodriguez with a scooter! I was extremely surprised, but grateful for the save. At that point I really didn't see any other option, so I did the only thing that came to mind: I hopped on the back of the scooter. I ordered her to drive, but she seemed to be out of it. Rodriguez stood, pointed a much deadlier weapon our way and I urged the woman to get a move on it.

Thankfully, she snapped out of it and sped off on the sidewalk. Rodriguez is a good shot, all my men are, but somehow missed us and shattered one of the mirrors. A fleet SUV came out of nowhere to pick up Rodriguez. That shouldn't have surprised me, really. I tried to reach for my gun, but Babe, any woman who saves my life is automatically categorized as being hot as hell, zigzagged through streets and cars like crazy. Pressing myself tighter against her back, I held on as I debated our options. Shit, if they catch us we're history.

I took out my phone, intent on calling for backup, when I realized Rodriguez might intercept the call. Without second thought, I tossed the phone against a passing wall.

Babe took an ally as a shortcut, drove onto a small parking lot for an apartment building and squeezed us between a large dumpster and a car. As soon as she killed the engine, Rodriguez and Co. sped past the lot.

"Come on." Babe said to me as she grabbed her bag. "Let's go inside before they realize their mistake and round back."

"Shit!" We were just inside the building when the sound of screeching tires told us they were close. Before I knew what was happening, Babe gripped the back of my T-shirt for me to follow her up the stairs.

Thankfully, her living room window overlooked part of the parking lot and I managed to catch a glimpse of them before they drove off the lot. "They're gone."

"We need to call the cops."

"No!" At this point I don't know how tainted the Rangeman workforce is or how much influence they have on the city. Until I know exactly who I can trust over there, I can't risk making myself public. Hell, for all I know the police could be in Rodriguez's pocket. Fuck, how could I not have seen this coming?

It seems Babe didn't like my order, because when she turned to face me she had that _'don't mess with me or I'll kick you in the balls'_ type of look my sisters used to get whenever I annoyed them growing up. "Listen, you…" Whatever she was about to say never left her lips for some unknown reason.

Perhaps pissing off the one person who can currently help me isn't such a smart move. "That came out wrong." I apologized as she absentmindedly flicked the light on. That's when I caught sight of the blood staining her thin pajama top. "You're bleeding."

"Wh-what?" My comment snapped her out of her thoughts. Babe twisted the back part of her top to the front, touched the damp fabric before she inspected the smooth alabaster skin beneath and quickly came to a conclusion. "It's not mine." Her gaze focused my way, giving me the perfect glimpse of her blue eyes. "It's yours."

I passed my right hand over my abdomen and even before I felt the dampness I flinched. Oh yeah, Rodriguez shot me. That asshole. "Got first aid?" I peeled off my shirt and used it to wipe away the blood on my skin. For a moment I got a glimpse of the wound before a little more blood oozed out.

"Yeah." Babe moved further into the apartment, so I followed her. "I only ever have to treat scrapes, so…" She trailed off as we entered the bathroom.

"That's all this is." I assured, telling her it was just a flesh wound. In his hurry to take me out of the picture Rodriguez turned into a horrible shot. Lucky for me, I guess.

"Sit." She ordered with a tone that said it was useless to argue as she washed her hands. Obeying, I sat my cheeks on the edge of the tub.

I watched silently, nearly whimpering when she cleaned the wound and applied some antibiotic ointment on the area. To finish off, Babe covered the wound with a gauze patch. Her fingers might have lingered a bit too long on my abs when she was done, but I didn't complain.

"All done." She cleared her throat a few times in an attempt to hide the blush creeping up from the neckline of her shirt up to her pretty face. Babe decided to keep busy by grabbing a feminine wipe and using it to wipe the remaining caked blood on my abs. At my raised eyebrow, she shrugged. "They're really good for that."

"Babe." I fought the battle and found myself smiling at her.

She returned the smile briefly before she put the kit away and washed her hands. "Are you going to tell me what all that's about or should I call the cops?"

The woman has me by the balls and she knows it.

I tossed my ruined shirt in the tiny trash can next to the toilet, stood and washed my hands. "Alright." Just as I decided I had no choice but to fill her in on the situation incessant knocking reached our ears. Automatically, I reached for my gun. "Expecting someone?" I want to trust her, because I've got no other choice. But nothing assures me that she's not one of them.

"No." Babe frowned even as she moved past me to exit the bathroom. My gut instinct told me she was telling the truth. Or maybe I just want to believe her, because it would be a real shame if she turns out to be one of the bad guys.

I followed close behind, listening as the knocking turned into full blown pounding.

"Cupcake!" The nickname was said on a growl. The man on the other side of the door sounded pissed as hell.

"Fuck me!" Babe muttered softly.

"Who is that?" I whispered.

"My ex."

Great. Now the ex joins the party.

"He's not going to give up." She said if she didn't talk to him, then he would eventually wake up the neighbors.

"Wait!" I gritted out when she headed for the door.

"What?!" There she goes again with that icy look.

"Your shirt has blood." If her ex gets a look at that, we're doomed. Okay, I'm doomed.

"Shit." Babe contemplated the situation for a few seconds, but made a decision when the pounding on the door grew louder. In one swift move she got rid of her top, leaving her in only a red cotton sports bra that made her breasts look round and soft, and opened the door.

"Cupcake, you ch-changed the locks?" Great. The ex was drunk. No doubt he showed up for some late night action.

"Yes, Joe." She answered with what sounded like little patience. "What are you doing here?" She reminded him that they were through, but the man was having none of it.

"The boys miss you." There was no mistaking the innuendo in his tone.

Oh, for the love of God! I decided to take action before Mr. Ex invited himself and the _boys_ inside. "Babe, who is it?" I saddled up behind her, wrapping an arm around her middle. Holding her close, I made sure to keep my gun out of sight.

"Who the fuck is this, Cupcake?!" Joe obviously wasn't expecting to find her with company and the knowledge irked him.

"It's late." I told him it was no time for visits and closed the door in his face. I kept Babe pressed against me as I watched him through the peephole. Joe stared at the closed door for several beats until he eventually got the message and ambled away. "He's gone."

"Hmm…" Babe extricated herself from my hold, turned to face me and crossed her arms just below her breasts. "Before there's another interruption, what the heck is going on?"

She looked angry, but I didn't know if she was mad at me or her ex or both of us. I blew out a sigh. "From the start?"

**Think he just met his match, hehehe. **


End file.
